How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
They think that Tony's personality is simply a matter of switches, and that if they find the right one, they can turn off his attraction to other guys and put him back on the road to God. (10.91)
This is the thinking behind anti-gay "conversion therapy" programs, too. Unsurprisingly, those don't work either.
Quote #5
Tony and I figure the best thing a straight boy with religious, intolerant parents can do for his love life is tell his parents he's gay. (14.1)
When Tony's parents thought he was straight, they wouldn't let him hang out with girls. Now whenever he mentions that he wants to do something with a girl, they're all over it.
Quote #6
They didn't kick Tony out of the house, but they made him want to leave. They didn't yell at him—instead they prayed loudly, delivering all of their disappointment and rage and guilt to him in the form of an address to God. (14.7)
Why couldn't they just talk to Tony? Do they actually think praying might work, or is their prayer solely passive-aggressive?